


Tumblr Prompts

by PawneeWafflesBen



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 04:43:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 17,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8475880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PawneeWafflesBen/pseuds/PawneeWafflesBen
Summary: All drabbles/one shots that are prompted by tumblr asks will go here!Tumblr: pawneewafflesben





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: 103. She's my daughter, I can read her diary.  
> Thank you wafflesjunior for sending that in!!

Year: 2032

Ben doesn't know what he expected to find when he came home. But seeing his wife, esteemed Governor of Indianna, pacing their daughters room in a frenzy was pretty low on his list. 

Drawers were open with papers and folders askew. Boxes from underneath Sonia's bed were piled across the floor. And right in the middle stood the culprit, pacing in a small square while violently flipping through the pages of a small blue journal. 

"Leslie..." Ben tried to make his way across the now incredibly cluttered room. Sonia had definitely inherited his tendencies for extreme organization and he could only imagine the explosion that this mess would cause. 

"Leslie," this time when Ben spoke he managed to reach out and hold his wife's arm, stopping her pacing square. "Leslie what are you doing?" He had that stern-Congressman-fighting-against-an-unjust-bill voice that also doubled as confused-and-worried-and-a-little-annoyed-husband-voice. 

"Nothing!" Leslie tossed the journal cross the room. Eyes wide and arms crossed defensively. Ben quirked an eyebrow and felt a smirk tug at his lips, but he resisted. 

"Well we both know that's not true." 

"Ben Wyatt! Are you accusing me of not speaking the truths? I, the-the audacity and the nerves I can't even believe-that my own husband! Would just- The outrage!" Leslie flung her arms around her in offense before stumbling backwards and falling on top of a pile of stuffed animals. Her brow furrowed and her face scrunched up in the usual way when she's mad or annoyed or frustrated. Ben offered Leslie a sympathetic smile before sitting beside her on the floor, absentmindedly holding her hand and running his fingers over her knuckles ever so softly. 

"Is this because she hasn't told you what Universities she's applying to?" Ben always knew exactly what was troubling her, every single time. 

Leslie grumbled. 

"She's 17 now, Leslie, I think you've got to let her make her own choices." 

Leslie groaned and through her face into her hands. "She wouldn't even talk to me Ben! I was gently reminding her that the deadlines for University of Indiana and Harvard were quickly approaching and she grumbled at me, Ben. Grumbled! And then- then! She completely changed the subject!"

"So... You went through her personal stuff in her private bedroom because she didn't say if she applied to a few universities?" Ben had that confused and slightly concerned look across his face, furrowed brow and pursued lips like he was contemplating what to say. 

"Well, yes! I had to, Ben. Sonia is hiding something from me. She's not telling me something and I need to know what's going on. And she's my daughter, I can read her diary. It's a parenting rule."

"I don't think that's an actual thing-"

Ben was cut off by Leslie continuing her ramble. "But it's no use because I went through all 137 volumes of "The Story of Sonia Knope-Wyatt," and there's not a single entry on colleges or universities or applications or even me! I'm her mother, Ben, I expected at least 1 entry about me embarrassing her at school or something." 

Ben nodded and wrapped his arm around Leslie, gingerly rubbing circles against the small of her back while she leaned into his shoulder.  
"Do you think that maybe, just maybe, this might have less of something to do with Sonia not telling you about her college applications and more about Sonia, Stephen, and Wesley leaving for college in less than a year?" 

Leslie tried to hold back the sniffle and the way her voice cracked and betrayed her when she said "No, what that's crazy talk I've totally accepted the fact that they're leaving," but it was a failed attempt.  
The next thing Ben knew Leslie was curled up in his lap crying into Ben's shirt like a small child. 

"I'm gonna miss them so much." The words came out in more of a wail while Leslie sobbed.  
"Me too, babe, me too." 

~~~~~~

"Please tell me the reason Mom is sitting on your lap in my room is completely G-Rated."  
Ben wasn't sure how long Leslie had cried for, but after a while she tuckered out and ended up sitting in his lap quietly before dozing off. He must've fallen asleep too because now Sonia was standing in the doorway of her room looking worried and borderline disgusted. 

Ben narrowed his eyes at Sonia from across the room and mouthed "You need to tell her, now."  
Sonia groaned and mouthed back, "She'll freak out! She'll steamroll the entire thing!"  
Ben gave his daughter a deadpan look and stared her down. Waiting. 

Sonia lost this round. 

"Hey Mom? Mom are you awake?"  
Leslie rubbed her eyes, face still a little red from crying.  
"Sonia! You're home!" Leslie climbed off of Ben's lap and enveloped her daughter in a hug. 

"Yeah and I've got to tell you something. It's kind of important and I didn't want to tell you before because I knew you'd want to take control of the whole thing and I wanted to do this by myself. Take charge on my own and-" 

"What? Take control? I am not controlling, Ben? Tell our daughter I'm not controll- sorry never mind. Keep going, sweetheart." 

"I applied for early admissions to the University of Indiana's Honors Program and I got in." Sonia lets the words run straight out of her mouth without so much as taking a breath between words. 

Leslie smile radiated pure sunshine in that moment. Pulling her daughter in for another hug, "I am so glad you didn't write that in your diary because that was all the more wonderful coming from you in person." 

"Thanks mom, I- wait, you read my diary?"

"Shhhhhh lets just stay here and enjoy the hug about my daughter being the most genius woman on the planet."


	2. Letters to Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the Christmas Prompt list that the lovely @sakurablossomstorm-blog Made, and also this was prompted by her ❤️

20\. Writing a Letter to Santa 

 

Leslie had somehow corralled their three five year old monsters at the table after lunch. Ben's not quite sure how she managed to pull them away from their Halloween candy, considering each of the little monsters had inherited their mother's sweet tooth. But there they were. Sonia, Wesley, Stephen, and Leslie all seated at the table writing something. 

"Hey there, what are you four up to?" Ben placed a kiss on Leslie's cheek before sliding into the chair beside her.  
"We're writing letters to Santa!" Wesley looked up at his dad and smiled a toothy grin. 

Ben couldn't help but chuckle, of course they were writing letters to Santa. Halloween had been less than 24 hours ago and they were already making their Christmas list. He leaned over toward Leslie and whispered, "You know it's November 1st right?" Leslie turned and smiled up at her husband. The signature Leslie Knope smile that never failed to brighten his day, the smile that always spread across her face before she cackled. 

"Just be happy I didn't put the tree up today." She scooted forward ever so slightly in her chair and pressed a chaste kiss on Ben's lips. She was hardly able to contain her smile and excitement for the holiday season. 

"We're putting up the tree?" Stephen and Sonia had jumped up from their chairs and began tugging Leslie and Ben out of their chairs. Wesley dropped his red and green crayons and cheered with excitement. 

The next thing he knew Ben was pulling out box after box of Christmas decorations from the attic. Leslie stood beneath him, placing the letters to Santa in Christmas themed envelopes that Ben didn't even know existed and promising the triplets that Santa would definitely get the letters in time for Christmas. 

"I'd hope so, considering we've still got an entire month before it's even December." Ben climbed down the latter with the last box labeled "antlers/hats/elf shoes #3." 

"Hey, you brought this one on yourself Mr. Wyatt." Leslie was already knee deep in Christmas lights wearing an elf hat. "We wouldn't even be getting out the decorations today but you insisted since its November 1st..." Leslie shrugged as if there was nothing she could do on the matter. 

Ben laughed and rolled his eyes before tugging on a Santa hat and untangling the next strand of Christmas lights. Really it had been Leslie's idea but he'd just let it go. Besides putting up decorations drew their little monsters away from the abnormally large stash of Halloween candy. 

And Leslie looked absolutely adorable in an elf hat.


	3. While Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the "I love you" prompts #9. "while baking chocolate chip cookies."

9\. When baking chocolate chip cookies 

Last time Leslie checked she was the early bird in her relationship with Ben. Always up before 6:00 am, always the first one down stairs, always the one to make the coffee. 

Of course she was also the night owl and on more than one occasion was already awake and didn't even have to come back downstairs to make coffee because she was already there. 

But either way Leslie was always up before Ben. It was just a fact, a common law of nature. So when Leslie rolled over to burry her face into Ben's chest at 3:00am and didn't feel her lanky elf king in bed beside her, she panicked. She looked under the bed, inside closets, behind the bookshelves, around her piles of bird houses and towers of boxes filled with issues of Time and Wall Street Journal. It was when Leslie ducked out of her room to check the hallway when she caught a whiff of the most heavenly smell. 

So she tiptoed down the stairs, wrapped up in one of Ben's plaid shirts that she found on her bedroom floor. Ben didn't notice her at first, his focus was instead firmly planted on whatever he was baking in the oven. 

Leslie stood at the counter for a few moments. Smiling down at him through her sleepy haze. The last few weeks had been an absolute whirlwind. They got back together, Ben resigned in disgrace, Leslie's team dropped her, then the Parks Department saved the day (as usual), and now Ben was her sexy campaign manager and adorable boyfriend.

Even if lately he was leaning more towards grumpy campaign manager than anything else. But Leslie couldn't blame him, it was new and stressful and confusing and sometimes Leslie just liked to sit back and admire the view. 

And if that view was Ben in plaid pajama pants kneeling beside her oven then that was even better. 

"I thought I was the early bird in this relationship." Leslie laughed when she saw Ben jump back slightly. When he turned around Leslie could see how absolutely exhausted he was, but that didn't stop Ben from pulling her into a hug. 

"You most definitely are the early bird. Which is why I had to wake up even earlier to bake you these." He pulled away quickly to grab an oven mitt and remove the tray covered in at least a dozen chocolate chip cookies. Leslie was pretty sure her lack of sleep was making her emotional because just the thought that Ben got up hours earlier for her to make cookies caused tears to well up in her eyes. 

Ben's eyes widened in concern and confusion, "Hey, hey don't cry." He dropped the tray and cupped Leslie's face in both his hands. Brushing away her tears before they could even fall. "If you wanted a different kind of cookie we could make those now, I mean it's not a big deal I-" 

Ben stopped talking when Leslie pulled him into a borderline painful hug, while peppering kisses along his neck. "You made me cookies at three in the morning." Ben caught the way her voice hitched halfway through the sentence and the way his neck was beginning to feel damp. Slowly Ben let his hands slide up and down Leslie's back, soft and comforting. 

"Of course. I know you've been stressed with the campaign lately and I thought maybe I'd make cookies for you. You deserve them Leslie. You deserve every cookie in the world." He placed a soft kiss on her temple and felt Leslie smile against his shoulder. 

~~~~~~

At around six in the morning Ben found himself making more cookies. Leslie promised she would help but that mostly meant eating chocolate chips by the handful and stealing spoonfuls of batter when she though he wasn't looking. 

"You know if you keep eating the chocolate and the batter we won't have any cookies for the rest of your campaign team." His back was turned to her but Leslie could tell e was smirking. That playful goofy boyfriend Ben style smirk. 

Leslie shrugged and placed another spoonful of cookie dough in her mouth. "That's alright. We could always get them some cookies from the store."   
Ben raised and eyebrow and eyed his girlfriend suspiciously, "Wait, then why am I making these?" 

"Because you love me." Leslie was grinning and slowly inching closer and closer to his face, eyes sparkling despite getting two hours of sleep. Ben felt his lips slip into a goofy grin as he tapped his forehead against Leslie's, "Well that is true, you are the chocolate chip stealing woman I've chosen to love." Leslie whispered "mhmm," before pressing her lips against Ben's. 

She tasted like sugar and chocolate chips and Ben was pretty sure there's no other way he'd rather spend his morning.


	4. 16. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the sick/illness prompts, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

Leslie was 100% positive that morning sickness was worse than any other flu or stomach virus in the history of existence. Especially considering that it lasted all morning and all afternoon and all evening and basically the entire day. 

Having meeting after meeting all day with different National Park supervisors probably didn't help. 

It was when Leslie excused herself for the third time to go to the bathroom during a meeting with her team that Ben met her by the bathroom. His face laced with concern and stress when Leslie barely made it to the bathroom before coughing up all her internal organs. Ben crouched down and began rubbing small circles on his wife's back as she hugged the toilet. 

"Leslie..."   
Leslie groaned at the sound of her name.   
"I thought you were going to call in if your morning sickness was becoming too much..."  
Leslie scowled and leaned back against her husband, "Yeah but the meetings I had today were really important and it's not my fault that our triple cherries want me to throw up everything I've ever eaten." 

Ben placed a kiss on the side of Leslie's head and wrapped his arms around her, "I know babe, but promise you'll at least go home early? I'll make you dinner, any food you can actually keep down."   
Leslie grinned and snuggled a little closer, "You'd take off early with me? Are you sure?"   
"Absolutely m'dear." Ben peppered a few kisses across her hairline before slowly helping her off of the bathroom floor. 

"I just have to tell everyone I'm going home early, you'll wait here for me?"   
Ben nodded and pecked her nose, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."


	5. "Take Notes Sweetheart"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a prompt list, the prompt was "Take notes, sweetheart"

"Take notes, sweetheart. This is how you win Monopoly." Ben cracked his knuckles and began sliding the colorful Monopoly money across the game board.   
Leslie smirked, an expression that was no doubt mirroring Ben's, as she laid out the property cards. 

"That's a pretty ballsy comment coming from someone who's lost every single monopoly game ever played against me." Leslie's eyes sparkled with that signature twinkle of competitiveness. 

In hindsight Ben really should've been concerned or worried when he caught that twinkle of competitiveness. Especially considering that they were snowed in Leslie's house after the worst snow storm Indiana had ever seen. Deeming Ben defenseless. Ben thought the game had been going well, he was winning and essentially forcing Leslie to mortgage her properties. 

Until he said for the third time that she "could always mortgage a few of her properties to pay-" and Leslie shouted back, "I'd sooner mortgage my SOUL to Satan before mortgaging off my properties to the likes of you!!" And returned to recalculating her money with a scrunched up face and bright red cheeks. 

"Good lord," Ben slowly started to scoot out of his chair, thinking maybe if he walked away for a few minutes she would cool off and-   
"Leave the table and you forfeit." 

Ben's mouth fell open and he shook his head, "I-what?"  
"Leave the table and you forfeit the game and I, by process of elimination, win."   
Ben narrowed his eyes and pulled his chair closer to the table, "I'm not losing this game."   
Leslie's face broke out in a devilish grin, Ben knew that look and he could tell he was entering dangerous territory.   
"Well neither am I." 

~~~~~~

When they started playing the game it was just after 6:00 PM.  
And now it was nearing midnight and Leslie has made some sort of crazy comeback and hadn't left the table once and Ben really had to go to the bathroom.

He was also nearing bankruptcy. 

Leslie smirked and mimicked his voice from earlier, "you could always mortgage a few of your properties to pay me, except you already did that." Ben scowled and rested his head against the table. 

Ben started murmuring things into the table that Leslie could hardly decipher. Leslie groaned in frustration, her competitive streaks usually could last all day, but after being stuck in her house all day and not moving from her chair Leslie was exhausted.   
"Babe just declare bankruptcy and we can finish this and go to bed." 

Ben mumbled something about how he "can't even win a stupid game of monopoly," and that declaring bankruptcy was like "Ice Town 2.0." Leslie's face softened and she reached across the table to hold her boyfriends hand. 

"Hey, Ben? Ben this is nothing like ice town. It's monopoly. You lost its no big deal..." Ben mumbled more incoherent things and Leslie pushed out her chair and walked over to his side of the table, wrapping her arms around his back. "Please just declare-"

Ben's head shot up.  
"You left the table."  
Leslie's eyes widened, "I, you were- when? What? You? TRICKSTER! You- you business like fox you have the nerves the AUDACITY. You tricked me!"   
Ben raised his hands in the air, "You made the rule! Not me! You're the one that left the table-" Leslie's eyes were narrowing and he was pretty sure her mouth was so scrunched up that it was disappearing. 

The next thing he knew Ben was being chased around the house by his girlfriend who was shouting very strange and very confusing insults. Ben wasn't really sure where he was running to, but none of that mattered when he ended up pushed into a corner with a very small and angry Leslie in front of them, her hands grabbing onto his shirt as she stood on her tip toes in a failed attempt to meet Ben's eye level. 

The insults and accusations were getting progressively stranger and Ben wasn't quite sure how long he could stand here, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He kissed her. 

"How dare you use your adorably talented mouth to shut me up? Benjamin Wyatt that is the exact thing that I absolutely cannot stand and you-" Leslie stopped and crinkled her nose in confusion.   
"You okay there?"  
Leslie frowned and shook her head, "I lost my train of thought, your stupid mouth distracted me." 

Ben smirked and slowly began inching towards Leslie, "Well that was kind of the idea." Ben pressed his lips against Leslie's and this time she kissed him back.   
After a moment or two Leslie pulled back and pointed at Ben, "I still won though." Ben rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yes you still won." 

Leslie grinned as she pulled his face down to meet her's, "Guess you're the one that needs to take notes, sweetheart."


	6. "This is where you impress me, right?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was: "This is where you impress me, right?

Ben wasn't much of a bragger. He often toned down his childhood accomplishments to be far less than they actually were. If he was going to be cocky he'd rather be cocky about current accomplishments, not pointless ones from the past. So every trophy and ribbon and certificate from his high school and college academic competitions and awards were in a box in his mom's attic. He had so creatively labeled it "stuff" and had kind of hoped that the box of "stuff" would stay in that attic forever. 

But the second his mom found out that he and had bought a house with his new fiancé, she taped up the box and sent it to Pawnee with a little note sharing her congratulations. 

Ben didn't want to open it. He would have been perfectly content stuffing it in their attic where it belonged. But Leslie was not so easily pleased. 

"Come on Les it's just old school stuff. Nothing important. We can just stick it in the attic and forget about all of the stuff-"  
"And miss out on a chance to learn meow about my fiancé's childhood? Not a chance Ben. Besides you know how much I love old school stuff. Come on, this is where you impress me, right? By showing off all your fancy ribbons and trophy's and certificates from high school?" Leslie was giving him that pleading smile where she looked at him like this very moment was the most important thing in the world. 

"Fine, okay. We can open it. But I'm telling you it's really nothing-"   
"YOU WON BEST DELEGATE FOR MODEL UNITED NATIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL?!" 

Ben jumped back slightly when Leslie spoke. How had she even opened the box so fast?   
"I- yeah..."   
Leslie's gaze shifted between Ben and the certificate in her hands.   
"Ben! How can you just shrug best delegate in Model U.N. As nothing."   
"It was a while ago I think I might've forgotten that I even got-"

And then Leslie was in his lap with her lips against his, her teeth nipping at his bottom lip ever so slightly while her fingers carded through his hair. When he pulled away his eyes were wide and confused, "Wait that was because of what? Exactly? I don't-" 

Leslie cupped his face and tapped her forehead against Ben's. "I really want to look through your box of awards and admire how smart and talented and wonderful my fiancé is, but the image of you as a U.N. Delegate is too much for me at the moment so we're gonna make out instead." 

Ben nodded eagerly before pulling Leslie even closer by her hips. If going through old boxes of childhood memorabilia meant hardcore making out with his fiancé on the couch, then maybe he'd be willing to brag a little more about past accomplishments.


	7. "Take off your shirt"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was: "Take off your shirt."

They've been working on her city council campaign non stop for the best three days. Ben falls asleep on top of one of Leslie's many idea binders and Leslie wakes him up by yelling about Bobby Newport's latest ad. Ben spends so much of his time planning and strategizing Leslie's next move that he doesn't really realize how little one on one time he's spent with Leslie. 

That is until he gets a text from Leslie calling for an emergency campaign strategy meeting at her house in five minutes. And the second he's opened the door to her house Leslie is pushing him against the door and kissing him harder than she ever has. 

"Leslie..." Half of Ben's brain wants to tell her to stop that they really should work on her campaign, but the other half of Ben's brain really doesn't want her to stop. Like, ever.   
"Take off your shirt." She's tugging at the hem of his shirt but her lips are practically glued to his. 

"Your- we've got- that thing- meeting." Ben's hardly able to form a completely coherent sentence, but Leslie's pulling him onto her couch and any objections die on his tongue.   
"Hmm, No meeting. Just hardcore making out with my boyfriend." 

Ben's nodding in agreement and wrapping his arms around Leslie when they hear the door open.   
"I'm so sorry I'm late Leslie. I was eating breakfast with Gayle and the girls and-"   
"Dammit Jerry!"   
It takes everything in Ben not to laugh because of course Jerry walks in on them making out, of course.   
"Oh Jeez, did I miss the meeting?"   
Ben can tell it's taking all of Leslie's strength not to lose it. 

"Hey Jerry?" Ben offers Leslie an apologetic smile as he talks, "You can you know go back home. I think we can handle everything here." It takes a few more minutes of insisting that they've 100% got everything under control before Jerry is driving away. 

"I swear I didn't text him to come here."   
Ben's laughing and peppering kisses down Leslie's neck murmuring, "I know," into her skin.


	8. "Quit smiling at me, I can’t stop messing up my sentences when you look at me like that."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by @benji-cool-times ""Quit smiling at me, I can’t stop messing up my sentences when you look at me like that."   
> Set in season 4 before The Debate!

"Leslieee," Ben groaned as he pulled his girlfriend closer forward his side of the bed. "You've been practicing your opening statement all day." Ben yawned and placed a soft kiss right bellow Leslie's ear, "Now go to sleep." 

Leslie wiggled out from Ben's cuddly grasp and crawled out to the middle of her bed. She was wearing one of his old Star Wars shirts and she was practically swimming in it, the hem ending mid thigh and the neckline dropping either to the side or farther down her chest. 

Now he wanted to wrap her back up in his arms again, but for entirely different reasons from sleeping. 

"Beeeeeen," Leslie drew out the syllables of his name just as he had done with her's while giving him he'd best pleading look. "Just one more run through and then I promise I'll go to sleep!" She was biting her lip and bouncing ever so softly on the bed. 

"Alright, one more run through, but just one!" Ben scooted up against the head board and gestured for Leslie to begin. 

The second the first few words left her mouth Ben felt himself smile. A full blown, ear-to-ear grin type smile, and there was nothing in the world that could stop it. Because his amazingly smart and beautiful and powerful girlfriend was going to cream the competition in tomorrow's debate, so he had every reason to smile at her like she was his entire world. 

"I-" Leslie shook her head and stuttered the next few words as she tried to maintain eye contact with Ben. "Quit smiling at me! I can’t stop messing up my sentences when you look at me like that." Leslie grumbled before burying her face into her hands, at least now she knew not to make eye contact with Ben at the debate. 

Ben's smile quickly turned into a smirk. "What? Can't a guy smile at his girlfriend every once in a while?" 

Leslie shot Ben a disbelieving glance while still attempting to hide the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks. "Of course he can, except when his stupidly attractive face and hummingbird style body become a distraction. Like now. You're very distracting Mr. Wyatt. So make a different face." 

Leslie started her statement again, from the top, while Ben forced an angry expression. 

"Not that face! That's even worse!" Leslie crinkled her nose and furrowed her brow, if she couldn't get it right at home in bed then how was she supposed to get it right on a stage in front of everyone?   
Leslie flung herself onto the mattress with a dramatic wail of defeat, "It's hopeless." 

Then as she felt Ben's arms gently wrap around her stomach and his lips press feathery kisses along her jaw Leslie whispered, ever so softly, "I'm hopeless." 

Leslie hoped that maybe Ben hadn't heard her. Or maybe if he had he'd just ignore it.   
But the second she said "hopeless" Ben had pulled back and situated himself so he could look at her. Brown eyes full of concern and worry. 

"Don't say that." 

"What if I am? What if I'm hopeless and I fail? What if I can't get my statement out without stuttering or ruin everything-"

Ben caught off her worried rambles by saying, in the most matter of fact tone, "Did I ever tell you about the day I realized my little crush on you was a crazy giant Death Star sized crush?" 

"No, but Ben I-" 

Ben kissed just bellow her hairline before continuing, "You got the flu. You had to go to the Chamber of Commerce meeting. You thought the taxi meter was in hieroglyphics, you saw the entire room as though it were swirling, and you kept saying that the ceiling and floor were switching. I thought you were crazy, because you could barely form a coherent sentence so how could you deliver a speech and convince all these vendors and then-" Ben smiled and shook his head, as if he was still in disbelief. 

"You delivered the most amazing speech, and got 100 some vendors to participate. You did that Leslie. You. All the while having a fever that warranted being admitted to the hospital. If you can do that with the flu? Babe you can do anything. You're not hopeless and you won't fail, you know why?"

Leslie smiled softly and let her eyes brim with tears while Ben spoke. "Why?"

"Because you're Leslie Knope. And that's just who you are. You're powerful and determined and hard working and a little crazy and you're going to kick Bobby Newport's ass tomorrow." 

Leslie grabbed Ben by the neck and pressed her lips against his with more enthusiasm than she had all week. When she pulled away Ben was back to giving her that smile, but this time she didn't want him to stop. She never wanted him to stop. 

"You really think I can beat him?" 

Ben reached for her hand and let their fingers intertwine before kissing her nose. "You've been debating Newport since he announced that he was running, I know you can."


	9. So you're hiding under the blanket because you're blushing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the Prompt from tumblr,  
> "So you're hiding under the blanket because you're blushing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that my Tumblr is @pawneewafflesben. :) and I love love getting prompts and also talking to people in general!

"So you're hiding under the blanket because you're blushing?" Ben couldn't hold back a lopsided smile, he was dating the biggest goofball. 

All Leslie did was squeak back in a whisper, "I'm not coming out either."   
Ben quirked and eyebrow before scooting farther down the couch, until he was right beside the Leslie shaped bundle covered in a giant hand made quilt depicting Mount Rushmore. 

Ever so carefully Ben wrapped his arms around Leslie and dragged her into his lap, knocking the quilt off her head in the process. Leslie clamored for the blanket but was stopped when Ben's fingers found her sides and started tickling her. 

"BEN!!" Leslie was shrieking between loud fits of laughter, limbs flailing in ever direction as she tried to catch her breath. Ben chuckled and released her, but not before peppering her face with soft kisses. 

Leslie swatted at Ben's arm in mock anger, "Jerk."   
Ben booped Leslie's nose, "Goofball." Ben hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "So are you going to tell me why you were blushing under a blanket or will I just be left here to wonder for the rest of my life?" 

No sooner had the remark left his mouth and Leslie felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. And then her eyebrows crinkle together in confusion, "Wait, didn't you- didn't you hear what I said?" 

Ben's fingers began tracing imaginary patterns on her arm as he stared down at her with his usual goofy-lopsided-grin. "I heard what you said." 

Leslie's jaw dropped slightly as her words stumbled out in uncertainty, "I- what? You're so calm though- are you sure? I don't know if you really super heard me I mean-" 

"Oh no, I super heard what you said." Ben kissed the corner of her mouth and rested his forehead against hers. "And I agree, completely." 

Leslie blinked, slightly stunned from her boyfriend's very calm and casual reaction to the random thought she'd let slip in the middle of watching The Princess Bride. They'd been dating just over a month. Living in a wonderful world of sneaking around cuddles and nicknames and amazing back rubs and hand holding in Ann's office. Everything was still so new and fresh. Too soon and too new to discuss serious things. 

And yet there they had been. Leslie curled up against Ben, drinking hot cocoa, despite the fact that it was over 80° outside, watching The Princess Bride. And Leslie may have (definitely) said out loud and not in her head that, "when we have kids we should name one of them Wesley." 

She felt Ben stiffen for just a split second as her eyes widened in realization to what she just said. They hadn't even been dating for two months and she was already talking about kids and baby names and using the pronoun we. 

So naturally Leslie had crawled under the blanket. What else was she supposed to do? Talk about the fact that she was jumping into her relationship with her secret boyfriend who happened to be her boss way to quickly? Nope. No way. That wasn't happening. 

But Ben didn't look nervous or weirded out or even slightly freaked out by her comment. In fact, he was looking at her with that "you're more important to me than the sun and air" smile. Which was definitely unexpected. 

Leslie shook her heads in a pointless attempt to clear her thoughts, "I- Uh, we've only been dating for 6 weeks." Ben nodded. "And we, well I- I just said when we have kids-"   
Ben nodded again as he interrupted, "and I said I completely agree. I think Wesley would be a perfect name for one of our kids." 

Leslie's heart swelled and she willed her eyes not to cry. He didn't just agree, Ben completely agreed. And somehow that made everything even sweeter. Leslie bit her lip as a grin crept across her face, "One of our kids?" 

This time it was Ben's turn to blush, his spare hand running through his hair from minor embarrassment. "Well, I mean- yeah. One of them. I didn't think you'd be the kind of person to stop at just one. I'm sure you probably want to give birth to like one third of the Supreme Court or something." 

Leslie couldn't suppress her smile. Her ridiculously attractive and sweet and nerdy and crazy super genius boyfriend wanted to have more than one kid with her. Leslie wrapped her arms around Ben's neck and let her lips slide against his. Whispering between the soft pecks, "You want to have kids with me?" 

She could feel Ben's smile against her lips as he nodded, "I mean not right now, obviously, considering we can't be seen in public together without the risk of losing our jobs, but someday yeah. I would like to very much." 

Leslie didn't know if Ben was planning on continuing his perfect sentimental comment, she was too busy kissing him with more ferocity then Ben had felt in the past 6 weeks. When she pulled away to take a breath Ben was brushing her hair out of her face and whispered, "You're not getting rid of me Knope." 

"Good," Leslie thought to herself, "I never want to."


	10. "Give me the computer, I need to look up cute penguins."

"Give me the computer, I need to look up cute penguins."

Ben didn't remember hearing his wife come home from her late City Council meeting, which was strange considering she could be a pretty loud person.   
But she was definitely home. And she was definitely frustrated, most likely at Jamm. Her nose and mouth were scrunched up in anger and she crossed her arms as she crawled onto their bed. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ben placed a delicate hand on Leslie's shoulder, which she quickly shrugged off. "No. Right now I want you to pass me your laptop so I can look at pictures of cute penguins." Leslie narrowed her eyes and made sure that every word came out sharp and demanding. 

Ben nodded and placed the laptop in front of his very angry wife before scooting away from her just a tad.   
Ben loved his wife, but good lord she could be terrifying when she was angry.

Nearly fifteen minutes had passed of Leslie scrolling through dozens of cute penguin pictures. Her face slowly softening and smiling at each fluffy baby penguin. Oohing and aawing at each one. 

"Oh my god, oh my god Ben! Ben!! Look at these penguins!! These are the penguins that I married at the Pawnee Zoo!!" Leslie was practically jumping out of her skin show Ben the picture. Ben smiled and wrapped his arm around Leslie, "That is adorable." Leslie nodded and let her head rest against Ben's shoulder. 

"Better now?"   
Leslie nodded.   
"Jamm being a stupid jerk face?"  
Another nod.   
"Penguins helped?"  
Leslie clicked on another picture of a baby penguin sitting in a big pile of snow, "Penguins make everything better, Ben."


	11. "You may think your secrets are kept, but I know everything."

"So what are you getting me for my birthday." Leslie flashed Ben a coy and pleading smile before taking another sip of hot cocoa.   
"I know everyone's in on it, helping. You're not sneaking babe." Leslie smirked in a way that she hoped mirrored Ben's usual facial expression. 

"I'll have you know that I am great at keeping secrets and covering up special birthday events for my wife." Ben grabbed a piece of waffle from her plate and raised his eyebrows as he ate, almost taunting Leslie to challenge him. 

"You may think your secrets are kept, but I know everything." Leslie pulled Ben in for a kiss before dumping her dishes in the sink and walking out the door. "See you later Benjamin." 

"Alright, Lesliemin. You're still not going to figure it out." 

~~~~~~

Two weeks passed and Leslie's birthday was only a few days away. If she did know what he was doing for her she certainly didn't tell him. In fact, Leslie hadn't brought up her birthday at all since that one morning. 

Which frankly, was a little concerning. 

~~~~~~

He woke her up with waffles from JJ's. With two canisters of whipped cream. One just in case JJ didn't put enough whipped cream on the waffles and the other for directly into her mouth. 

As far as Leslie was concerned having your perfect nerdy husband wake you up with waffles was the best birthday present ever.   
But then he pulled out a suitcase from their closet and said with the biggest grin across his face, "How would you like to go see Mount Rushmore."

It takes them about an hour and a half longer to leave then planned. Because as Leslie said, "It's a national law that when your husband surprises you with a trip to go see amount Rushmore you just have to jump his bones. It's mandatory."


	12. "I never knew you could bend like that"

If there was one thing that made Leslie the happiest human in the world it was coming home and seeing Ben tending to their three little cherries.  
Walking into the nursery after a long day of meetings to see Ben cooing and tending to their little 4 month olds never failed to bring a tear (or two tears, or you know an hour long session of emotional sobbing) to Leslie's eye. 

He was just so calm and peaceful with them. It was like stress shamwow Ben was always there around the babies. Any sort of anxiety or stress from before they were born completely washed away the second he picked up one of the triplets. 

So it was only natural that when Leslie saw Ben tending to Sonia and Wesley that she stand in the doorway and watch.   
Just for a little bit. 

"Hey, hey. Shh, shh. Don't cry!" Ben started bouncing slightly as Wesley started fussing. "You wanna see your whale? Mr. Whale will make you feel better?" Ben carefully laid Sonia back down her crib before reaching around in Wesley's crib behind him for the stuffed Whale that Wesley always smiled at. 

Leslie furrowed her brow in mild concern as she watched her husband try to grab the plush toy in a way that she was fairly certain arms could not twist. But Ben didn't seem to be in any pain, or even remotely phased at the fact that his arm was being completely the opposite of normal. 

"Here's Mr. Whale!" Ben smiled as he held up the toy in front of his sons face. As if by magic Wesley calmed down and smiled at the whale, any traces of crying completely gone. Ben giggled at his sons sudden change in emotions and peppered his face with kisses. "One for your nose. And one for your cheeks. And one from Mommy! She's almost done with work and she'll be so happy to see-" 

"I'm home!" Leslie beamed as she moved from her spot against the door frame to beside her husband. Her smile growing wider, if that was physically possible, as Ben handed her Wesley. Leslie rubbed her nose against her baby's and cheerfully held him against her chest. 

Between murmuring to Wesley about how cute he was and how happy she was that he existed, Leslie looked up at Ben with her determination face. "I saw you get Mr. Whale for Wesley and since when have you been able to do that to your arm?" 

Ben shrugged, only slightly intimidated by his wife's concern. "Uh, forever?" 

"But I never knew you could bend like that? Is that normal? Are you okay Ben?" Leslie's fingers played with the soft tips of Wesley's hair as she stared her husband down. 

"Last time I checked that was pretty normal... Are you okay babe? You're starting to freak me out a little bit-" 

"So it's not like your secretly some super human being that can stretch his arm out far behind his back or anything?" Leslie eased Wesley back into his crib to pick up Stephen. "I mean that would be weird, but not gonna lie it would be kind of neat too. You'd be my sexy super genius super human husband." Leslie's eyes sparkled when she smiled up at Ben. 

Ben chuckled as he pressed a kiss to Leslie's forehead, "Sure babe. That would be pretty neat."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: your stray red item turned my whites pink
> 
> Random college AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I fell asleep shortly after posting this to my tumblr and woke up having no recollection of writing it. Whatsoever.   
> I apologize in advance if the characters are off or if it's just no good in general. I really really loved this prompt though! So I'll probably end up rewriting it or writing something else for this prompt cause laundry mishaps are my fave.

After one and a half semesters of college Leslie decided the absolute worst aspect of everything was doing laundry. It's not that doing laundry was difficult. It was simply that the process of walking down to the very end of the hall to the laundry room that was always packed with grumpy, sleep deprived college students sucked. 

It also didn't help that the laundry room was creepy and disgusting. 

There had been some sort of water damage a few years ago and maintenance had completely gutted the room for repairs.   
Those repairs included 3 washing machines that worked only half the time and 4 dryers that usually took a second run through to dry your clothes. They never redid the floor, instead they left the stained cement found beneath the tile, and the lights were always flickering.   
It was essentially the setting of the next big horror movie. Leslie was convinced that if she ever got murdered it would take place in the laundry room. 

So, naturally, to avoid any near-death or near-murder situations, Leslie was always in and out of the laundry room as fast as her legs could carry her. Of course in her haste she sometimes left a sock in the washing machine or a washcloth in the dryer. 

Or that one time she heard a weird noise and left half her load of laundry still in the dryer. 

But after every experience where she accidentally left something everyone was always so sweet. They'd leave the sock or wash cloth or whichever article of clothing on the folding table with a little note. Eventually, Leslie assumed, it must've gotten out that she was always forgetting clothes because the notes went from saying "found sock!" To "Leslie, try not to forget anymore socks."

Leslie never had to go back and search for her clothes because someone always found them before her. 

When Leslie walked back into the disgusting pit of despair that is the laundry room to retrieve her favorite red sock she expected to see it on the folding table. But instead the folding table was bare, and just when Leslie went to open the machine she used- someone closed it. 

Leslie's eyes widened and mentally crossed her fingers. Everything would be fine as long as he didn't click "whites."   
Leslie didn't bother hiding her groan of defeat when she saw him press the button labeled "whites." Of course. Of course she would be stuck with the one guy who was using the washing machine with her very red sock in it to wash his very white clothes. 

"Can I help you?" 

Leslie snapped out of her trance and blinked at the washing guy, "Huh?"

"Are you okay? You're uh, kind of staring? And you basically screamed when I started the washing machine..." He was looking at Leslie like she was crazy and rubbed the back of his neck with uncertainty. 

Leslie blinked and held out her hand, forcing herself to smile politely and not think about the very white clothes that were definitely turning very pink.   
"Um, hi there! I'm Leslie Knope and I believe that the washing machine you're using may possibly have my sock inside." 

Leslie waited for the negative reaction. The shouting. The groaning. Anything with a slight infliction of annoyance to his tone.   
But instead he laughed. 

An actual full bodied laugh with a smile and everything. 

Leslie stepped back quickly, staring at him skeptically. He had to crazy, because normal people don't laugh hysterically when their clothes are being turned pink. 

"Oohh'kay, Leslie Knope," washing machine guy smirked and held out his hand as Leslie had done moments before. "I'm Ben Wyatt and I think you may possibly be over reacting."   
Leslie remained uncertain as she slowly shook Ben's hand. Yup- he was crazy. 

"I- I don't understand. You're pretty calm considering you're washing your clothes with a strangers sock..."   
Ben arched an eyebrow, "Would you rather I be raging over it?" 

Leslie rolled her eyes and waved her arms in exasperation, "I mean, yeah! Most people get pretty pissed off when their clothes turn pink because of a red sock!" Leslie crossed her arms across her chest after her very loud outburst, and felt her face scrunch up and grow warm. The second Leslie stopped talking she realized why Ben hadn't been annoyed. 

He didn't know it was a red sock. 

Crap on a Christmas tree. 

"Wait, what?" Ben crouched down in front of the washing machine and tried to pear through the tinted window. Ben could only really make out a few bubbles from the detergent. "You left a red sock in the machine everyone uses for whites?!" 

Ah, Leslie thought as Ben's voice rose with each word, there was that infliction of annoyance in his voice.

Leslie squared her shoulders in defense as she spoke, her cheeks burning in frustration. "Hey! There are no assigned washing machines! What kind of crazy perfectionist uses the same machine for their whites?!"   
Ben gaped and waved his hands, "Me! This crazy perfectionist! Everyone else on the floor! It's just known that you don't put dark or bright colors I'm this machine! I don't- wait why am I defending myself!" Ben scowled and pointed at Leslie, "You are the one that let me wash all of my white button downs and my white sheets and towels with your red sock!" Ben let out a long groan of defeat and rested his forehead against the washer, with a little more force than was likely healthy. "I have to wear those shirts for job interviews."

Leslie's scowl transformed into a slight frown as she watched Ben pout in front of the washer. She almost suggested a cancel or stop button, but Leslie knew from past experience that these machines were not that advanced. 

Leslie opened her mouth, unsure of exactly what she would say, but was immediately cut off by Ben whining.   
"You couldn't have normal socks? I mean out of all the damn colors you had to have red socks? Who the hell even wants red socks." 

Any ounce of sympathy Leslie had for Ben vanished within a second. Her blue eyes flamed and her jaw dropped. 

"Well if you're going to be a judgemental jerk then I don't even want my sock back!" 

Ben rolled his eyes as she spoke, "Right, because your sock is the real tragedy here." 

"It's a lucky sock!" That was a lie. Leslie's lucky socks were blue with dancing waffles. "I have a midterm in an hour, I won't pass the test without that sock!" Leslie started walking forwards the laundry room door, she had a feeling that the longer she stayed the more obscure her fib would get. 

"Okay, well in an hour I'm going to walk into an interview for a really important internship in a bright pink shirt. All Because some angry blonde pain in the ass forgot to clean out her washing machine." 

Leslie held the laundry room handle so tight her knuckles turned white, "Oh! I'm a pain in the ass? Well you- you're like an picky hardass jerk face! Dictating which washing machines are used for which colors! You need to get an internship with a fascist dictator!" And then Leslie was storming down the hallway and slamming the door to her dorm room while screaming about how "Ben Wyatt is a stupid jerk butt" and that it doesn't matter that she "turned his white shirts very pink, he's still a jerk," to her very confused roommate Ann. 

"Um? Hello to you to Leslie?"

Ann, "perfect supportive mother goose Ann" as Leslie later called her, listened to Leslie scream about Ben Wyatt for nearly an hour.   
"Les, you turned people's clothes different colors before and they yelled at you, why are you so hung up on-" Ann's face broke into a grin, "Ooooohhhhhhh I get it." 

Leslie blinked, obviously lost as to where this conversation was going, "Get what?"

"You like him, you think he's cute, and now you ruined his clothes and you think he'll never talk to you again." 

Leslie gaped and smacked at Ann's arm, "I- what? How would I? No. Ridiculous. He was terrible face wise and his laugh wasn't even that fantastic so you, no. Definitely just nopety nope." 

~~~~~~

Leslie woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. Ann handed Leslie a cup of coffee and mumbled, "For someone who claims to hate conflict you're way too competitive Les," before leaving for class. Ann stopped at their doorway, picked something off of the ground, and tossed it in the direction of her friend. 

It was a small rectangular box wrapped in Christmas tree wrapping paper, despite the fact that it was definitely March.   
Inside was a red sock and a note. 

_Leslie Knope,_

_Here's your sock._  
Sorry I called you a pain in the ass, you're really not.   
I hope you passed your midterm. 

_-Ben Wyatt (Room # 203)_

_P.S. Apparently everyone at the accounting firm that I interviewed for really love pink shirts, so I think I owe you one._

_P.P.S. I hope you don't think I'm a stalker for leaving this package at your door. You just have your name spelled out in different breakfast food pictures on your door._

_P.P.P.S. I promise I don't normally have screaming matches in the laundry room. I could make it up to you with a cup coffee?_

When Leslie met Ben that afternoon for coffee he was wearing a bright pink button down.   
"Sorry I turned all your clothes pink," slipped out of Leslie's lips before she could stop it. 

Ben shrugged, "I'm not."


	14. "You're lucky you're cute/cuddle me?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue prompts "You're lucky you're cute" and "cuddle me?" Sent in by the wonderful supervanillabear31 ❤️

"I thought you said you'd come to bed in two minutes, it's been two hours." 

The sudden sound of Ben's voice filling their very quiet dining room makes Leslie nearly jump out of her chair. Her hair is frazzled, eyes glossed over with exhaustion, and yet she's still sitting awake at nearly two o'clock surrounded by "more questions about the job" binders.

Leslie still manages to brightly smile at her husband and explain, in a tone that's way too enthusiastic for this hour, why she's still awake. "I know. But Ben! I really was about to go to bed and then I came up with like thirty more questions and I just had to write them down. They were really important questions." 

Ben can't help but smile sleepily at Leslie as he starts walking towards her. They'd agreed a few days ago that she should probably attempt to get to bed by midnight. With the stress of the upcoming unity concert and the possibility of a new job, Leslie could definitely use a little extra stress-free-sleep-time. And sure Ben might have bribed her with the promise of waffle sundaes for breakfast the other two nights, but he really thought she was starting to get on a normal sleep schedule. 

"Okay well, are you done with the question writing now?"   
Ben's leaning against one of the dining room chairs, trying desperately not fall asleep while standing. 

Leslie crinkles her nose at her seven plus binders scattered across the table and frowns.   
"Well, no but-" 

All it takes is one look at her falling-asleep-standing-bed-head-husband, who's silently begging her to sleep, to reconsider her planned all nighter. 

"Les," Ben's voice is rough with lack of sleep and his eyelids can't seem to stay open, but when he reaches out to rub circles on Leslie's wrist she sighs. Relenting. 

"You're lucky you're cute." Leslie grumbles as Ben tugs her up the stairs, no doubt with a victorious smirk across his face. 

"I've do have one request," Leslie whispers as she wraps herself up in their blankets. 

"Alright fine. I will make you a waffle sundaes for breakfast tomorrow." Ben mumbles back, eyes shut and head burrowing into his pillow. 

"Well I was going to say cuddle me, but if you insist on a waffle sundae-" Leslie erupts into a fit of light giggles as Ben wraps her in his arms and tugs her close. 

"Okay goofball," he presses a featherlight kiss to Leslie's forehead and she can feel his smile against her skin, "Now go to sleep."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from actual sunshine of a human being @benji-cool-times,   
> "We're not just friends and you fucking know it."

It shouldn't be so difficult.   
They spent months being just friends. 

Months where the most physical contact they had was a hand shake or a congratulatory hug.   
Months where thoughts of being anything _but_ friends with Leslie were buried away, because there was no way she felt that way too. 

But that was before.   
Before Ben kissed her right outside Chris' office.   
Before they agreed that it was worth the risk if they could be together. 

_Together._

It's been nearly a month since they decided they couldn't be together anymore. For her campaign, for her future, to avoid a scandal.   
It was for the best.  
At least, that's what Ben kept repeating in his head. 

_It's for the best,_ as he stops himself from grinning at her like a lovesick puppy from across the conference room table.   
_It's for the best,_ when he's eating soup alone on a bench, instead of sneakily eating lunch with Leslie.   
_It's for the best,_ when he feels angry and offended and slighted at the fact that Leslie moved on so quickly. As if there had never even been a together. 

As if they were always "just friends." 

At those words, it takes all of Ben's strength not to kiss her breathless and explain to her that "we're not just friends, and you fucking know it." 

Because that's their sad truth now. Just friends. 

And when Leslie smiles at him in passing, Ben knows that's all they'll ever be.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another prompt from @benji-cool-times! "You're so fucking hot when you're mad."

"I just, I don't get it!! I mean I'm their _father,_ Leslie! I raised them!!"

"We raised them, yes." 

"We put a roof over their heads! We've given them food!! Healthy, safe lives!!!" Ben fell back onto their bed, fingers running through his hair in frustration and chest heaving from his angry rant. 

Leslie simply nodded, not a trace of anger or annoyance on her face. Slowly wrapping her arms around her husband's taught but powerful frame and kissing his cheek.   
"I know, babe. Let it out." 

Ben groaned as his brow furrowed and jaw clenched,   
"I just, I feel so disrespected! Leslie we do everything for them!! Everything!! And how do they repay us?" He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head in disbelief. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to move past this!" 

Leslie murmured her agreement against Ben's neck. Lips nipping and sucking at the skin as she slid into his lap. 

"And I know they're our children so I obviously love them forever and completely unconditionally, but I'm just so mad and-" Ben froze at the sudden realization that his shirt was almost completely unbuttoned, and Leslie's hands were reaching behind him to grab at his butt. 

"Wait what's happening right now."

Leslie bit back a cackle and continued kissing down Ben's neck before whispering, "You're so fucking hot when you're mad," punctuated by a quiet sigh of content. 

Ben let himself relax to his wife's touch, his own hands pulling her closer and tangling in her hair. 

Leslie was lmost completely undressed when Ben pulled back, suddenly remembering the entire reason this started in the first place. 

"Don't you think we should talk about it? Figuring out what to do? Before we get all caught up..." 

Leslie quirked and eyebrow, pushing herself up on her elbows to be more eye level with Ben.   
"Figure out what to do about what, Ben?" 

His eyes nearly popped out of his head, "The, the kids Les! We can't just pretend that incident never happened, we need to talk about what kind of discipline-" 

Leslie stared at Ben incredulously. "Falling asleep during Star Wars does not require disciplinary action Benjamin."


	17. "I can't Breathe"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue prompt: "I can't breathe."   
> Takes place after Smallest Park :)

He wakes up to Leslie saying his name over and over in a soft and strained whisper. He really didn't think he'd ever get to wake up to that sound again. 

"Ben?" 

"Mmhhhmm..." It's barely a mumble considering it's probably around 5:00AM on a Saturday, and one night of sound sleeping does not make up for the restless nights in the past four months. 

"Can you move a little? I, I can't breathe, you're-" He feels Leslie squirm and that's when he realizes he's practically laying completely across her body. Arms holding her tight and chest against hers, probably crushing her from the sleepy dead weight.   
Ben rolls off before she can even finish the sentence. Pulling away from Leslie so quickly he nearly falls off the bed. 

"Sorry, I'm sorry. Just, sorry I didn't mean to you know- I'm sorry." His voice is still rough with exhaustion, but Ben swears he can feel his heart beating in his ears. They just got back together, he can't crush her in her sleep. 

Leslie just smiles at his apologies, sliding across the bed until she's able to wrap herself around him. Arms around his neck and fingers in his hair, legs hooked around his hip or around his legs with a smile. 

"It's okay," She yawns as she speaks. Ben's quite sure he's never heard Leslie Knope yawn before. "You were warm and close and I like you being close. I just wanted to you know, breathe." 

Ben smiles and buries his head in her hair, taking a chance to smell the vanilla shampoo that he had missed so dearly before kissing the top of her head. 

"I missed you." He whispers, so quiet and muffled by her hair, he's sure it's gone unnoticed. 

But it doesn't. 

He can tell in the way she pulls herself impossibly closer to him, pressing her ear to his chest and kissing whatever closest. It's in the way her fingers slide between his locks of hair and her legs feel wrapped around his. It's how she sniffles In a Way that's both happy, and sad as he holds her close. 

It's in the way she inhales and exhales in time with him.   
Because now they're together and they can finally breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever want to prompt me just send me a message on tumblr! I'm pawneewafflesben! :)


	18. "Stop Biting that Fucking Lip"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue prompt: "Stop biting that fucking lip."

"Stop biting that fucking lip and make your damn move, Wyatt!" Leslie scowled at her husband from across the table, eyes narrowed and nose scrunched up in determination. 

Ben simply raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, still nibbling on his bottom lip in concentration.   
"I'll make my move when I want to make my move, Knope. You're just worried that you're going to lose." 

Ben smirked as Leslie's eyes darkened. Her brow crinkled and he might've even heard a growl of frustration as she retaliated. 

"I'm not going to lose." 

"Well that's what you think." 

"No, Benjamin. It's what I know. There's a difference." 

"Are you sure about that?" 

Leslie opened her mouth to respond with an equally teasing remark, but was stopped by the sound of their four year old monsters running down the stairs. Followed by a loud chorus of complaints. 

"You're playing Hungry Hungry Hippos without us?" 

"Not fair Mommy! I wanna play!" 

"I wanna be the green hippo!" 

"No fair SoSo is ALWAYS the green hippo!" 

"NOOO! Is my turn!!" 

"Is not!!" 

"Is too!!" 

"DADDY SOSO SAYS SHES THE GREEN HIPPO. I WANNA BE GREEN!" 

Leslie sighed as the triplets continued to carry on, their voices quickly growing louder.   
"I think our Hungry Hungry Hippo's tournament is postponed." Leslie whispered as her husband nodded in agreement. 

"That's alright. I prefer this game with our three monsters anyway. Even if they are loud and yell at each other." Ben's hand found hers across the table as he talked to their triplets, slowly calming them down. Leslie couldn't help but smile, even when they were loud terrors, they were their loud terrors. 

And she wouldn't have it any other way.


	19. "I need some time"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "I need some time."   
> Set during the breakup period!

Leslie's walking into Ben's office just as Chris is living, various project request forms in hand.   
She easily could've had April or Andy bring them up, but ever since the breakup she hardly ever sees Ben and she just-

She misses him. 

Like misses him more than anything, thinks about him all the time, and absolutely hates that he visits the Parks Department less and less. 

So instead Leslie makes it her responsibility to go visit the Assistant City Managers Office. 

"Leslie Knope! It is fantastic to see you today!" Chris points at her with extreme enthusiasm as he makes his way out of the office, but not before turning to Ben and saying that he "hopes Ben has literally the most delightful vacation next week." 

Leslie crinkles her nose as Chris leaves.   
"You're um, going on a vacation?"

Ben looks up and tenses, as if he suddenly noticed they were left alone in his office. He clears his throat and is obviously trying to avoid eye contact with her at all costs. As if looking at her will make him do something he'd regret. 

"Uh, yeah. I'm going to Chicago. Visit Henry, and my niece, try and get away from all this work... Stuff." 

Leslie notices the way his eyes flash to her momentarily when he says "work... Stuff." 

Her heart breaks a little more than it already has. 

"How long are you going for?" Leslie hopes her smile looks genuine. But she's sure he can tell its forced. 

"A week." 

Leslie's eyes nearly pop out of her head.   
"A whole week?! You're leaving work for an entire week? Ben!! You can't just- you can't just leave Pawnee for an entire week! That's a really long time." She's flailing her arms about and she's sure her nose is scrunching in that way when she's angry or frustrated. 

When they were together he would kiss her nose. Now he just stares, brow furrowed and the corners of his lips turned down. 

"It's really not. Besides, I need some time away from... Pawnee." 

Leslie wishes he'd just come right out and say he needs some time away from her.   
But he won't.   
She knows that. 

She swallows the lump in her throat and nods. She sets the forms on his desk and tries to think of happy things. A plate of brownies, the 8 part documentary on the American Revolution she has recorded, maintenance requests forms, anything. But somehow every happy thought reminds her of Ben, and that just makes her sad. 

"Right, well, have fun on your vacation. Pawnee will miss you while you're gone." Leslie gives him a weak smile and then leaves. 

It's not what she wants to say. 

What she really wants to say, what she really means, is   
"I miss you."


	20. "Sometimes, I really don't like you."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue prompt: "Sometimes I really don't like you."
> 
> Takes place during the breakup period and is a continuation of the previous chapter!

"So," Henry is sitting at the other end of the couch, baby Emma cradled in his arms but instead of watching his daughter he's staring down Ben as if this were a police interrogation. 

Ben quirks an eyebrow, "So?" 

"So when are you going to tell me what happened with Leslie?" 

Ben tries to play it off, avoid the topic as much as possible. Because the last thing he wants to do on his vacation-to-get-away-from-his-ex-who-he's-maybe-in-love-with   
is actually talk about said ex-who-he's-maybe-in-love-with. 

"I told you everything that happened with Leslie. We dated. We broke up so she could run for office. That's it." Ben tries to watch the TV, avoiding emotions kind of worked for his parents. It could definitely work for him too. 

"Right," Henry rolls his eyes, "Well that's a load of crap."

Ben opens his mouth to retaliate but Henry stops him. 

"We may not live in the same house anymore, but you're my brother. I know you Benji." Henry shoots him the typical "I'm your big brother so listen to me" look before continuing.   
"You get all mopey when you're heart broken." 

Ben starts to mumble something about not being heart broken, but the words get caught in his throat. 

Henry cradles Emma a little closer to his chest before saying, "It must be really bad since you're in love with her and all." 

Ben freezes. 

He's about 97% sure he never told Henry about the slim (or rather extremely large) possibility that he's in love with Leslie.   
In fact, he hasn't even come to terms with the idea himself. And yet here's Henry just throwing it out as if it were obvious?

"I'm uh," Ben blinks and shakes his head, "Uh-what? What, how? I'm what?" 

Henry rolls his eyes and quirks and eyebrow, lips sporting a smirk eerily similar to Ben's.   
"You've got to be kidding me right? You're seriously trying to deny that? God Benji don't be so dense." 

Ben tries to make an excuse. Tries to say that he's 100% over Leslie. That that chapter of his life is over. Finished. Closed. For good. Forever. 

But Henry just stares at him, a deadpan look on his face. As if he knows there's no way Ben can deny or admit the truth. 

When Ben goes silent, awkward babbling suddenly at bay, Henry just laughs. 

"You've got it so bad, Benji." 

"Sometimes, I really don't like you." Ben grumbles and, in that moment, finds himself missing Pawnee, or rather a certain blonde Parks and Rec Deputy Director, even more than before.


	21. "I know it's 3 in the morning but I can't find my cat."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue "I know it's 3 in the morning but I can't find my cat." prompted by wonderful sunflower @benjicooltimes

In hindsight, moving into a new house in a completely new town in the middle of the night probably wasn't the best idea. 

But the second Ben got the call from the realtor saying the deal was finalized, he just had to be there. Out of Indianapolis and the stress of his old job and onto working at an accounting firm in Pawnee, Indiana. 

Just Ben, his three trusty calculators, and his cat; Franklin. 

Letting Franklin out of his travel crate before Ben had fully unloaded all his belongings was probably his first mistake. 

Leaving the front door open to carry in boxes while Franklin was out of his crate was definitely his worst mistake. 

He searched all over the new house. In every room and and closet, every box and nook and cranny. Panic slowly rising in his chest as he covered more and more ground and continuously ended up cat-less. 

It was nearly three in the morning when Ben realized his front door was wide open. Along with a few cat pawprint a beside a puddle of rain water from the porch. Ben scoured the yard, every possible hiding spot was searched while he called out _Franklin_ , and shook his favorite bag of treats. 

Ben's hands trembled and he could sense the start of a migraine as he wandered around the yard. It was late, colder, and somehow even darker. Making it even more difficult to see anything else. 

He needed help.   
But surely there was no one awake at three in the morning to help look for his cat. 

That's when Ben caught a glimpse of his neighbors house. Nearly every light turned on on the first floor and most curtains opened to reveal a very... Cluttered inside. And before Ben could even come up with a reason to why this was all a bad idea, he was knocking on his neighbors door. 

~~~~

"Uh, hi. I'm Ben Wyatt, I just moved in next door and I know it's three in the morning but I can't find my cat. And I noticed your lights were on and I was hoping you'd have an idea to help me?" Ben spoke without taking a single breath, words running together as he stared at his neighbor. 

The woman blinked for a moment, most likely slightly stunned from the jumble of words that came out of his mouth, but she then proceeded to smile. A smile so bright that Ben was sure no one was actually capable of that smile in three in the morning, except this woman. 

"Leslie Knope. You have a cat too?" Her voice was so excited and full of happiness when she spoke. As if Ben having a cat, missing or not, was the best thing she'd heard all day. 

Ben nodded, "Uh, yeah. Franklin, he's a little black and grey tabby. He got out when I was moving my stuff and-" 

"Oh! Don't worry! I know where your cat is!" Her eyes sparkled when she spoke, smile growing even wider. And even in his panic Ben's still pretty sure his stomach is doing summersaults over the sparkle in her eyes. 

"I- you do?" Ben could hardly hide his shock, he expected to be turned away or shrugged off. He certainly didn't expect help from someone who already _knew_ where his cat was. 

Leslie nodded and held out her hand, "Yup! Follow me." 

Ben didn't even hesitate. 

As Leslie maneuvered through piles of boxes and bird houses she told him about her cat. 

"She's an orange tabby, she mostly stays in doors but sometimes she wonders outside. But she always comes bald home, which is why I had a car door installed in the front and back. Tonight though, she brought a friend with her." She turned and gave Ben a pointed smile as if to say "I wonder what cat it could be." 

"But, the cat didn't have a collar on it so I thought maybe I'd take him to animal control tomorrow, even though they're just a bunch of stoners, but now you're here so I don't have to! Although the you should really consider getting a collar for your cat it's only safe."   
And with that Leslie opened a door to a back room that was surprisingly cleaner than the entirety of her house. 

And right in the middle of the room sat two cats, a black and grey tabby and an orange tabby. Both curled up beside each other, eyes shut and purring ever so softly.

"Aw did you make a friend Eleanor?" Leslie crouched down and began petting both cats. 

"Eleanor?" Ben asked as he moved to sit beside Franklin. Most cat's he'd run into were typical cat names, Eleanor was not one lf them. 

Leslie blinked and leaned backwards, almost taken completely off guard by his question. 

"For Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the most incredibly First Ladies of our country. She's an activist and an absolute inspirational hero..." Her eyes narrowed slowly as she trailed off. Like she'd easily take Ben down for disagreeing with her. 

Somehow that only made him smile more, "I actually named Franklin after FDR-"

If Ben thought her smile earlier had radiated pure joy, it was nothing compared to this one. 

It could probably light up an entire city black out. 

"Yeah?" 

Ben nodded and felt himself smile, a real smile with teeth showing and everything. He couldn't even remember the last time he smiled that much. 

He was about to pick up Franklin when the cat flattened his ears and nuzzled closer to Eleanor. 

Leslie laughed, though really it's more of a cackle, before saying "I think our cats like each other." She bit her lip, contemplating what to say next.

Ben almost said he better go, it's nearly 3:30 on the morning and he starts at his new job in the Accounting firm tomorrow and he really ought to sleep-

"You could both stay, if- if you want to." 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, that way Eleanor and Franklin could hang out because," her eyes flickered towards the two cats, curled up beside each other and purring softly, "I don't think you're going to be able to tear them apart anytime soon and I was actually about to make some waffles and-" 

Ben turned and his lips tugged up into a slight smirk, "Well I do like waffles." 

Leslie stood, holding her hand out for him again as she walked to the kitchen. 

"Good, if you didn't I'd probably have to kick you and your cat out."


	22. "Don't you die on me."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A post war/crazy rebellion type AU based on the Dialogue "Don't you die on me." Also prompted by @benjicooltimes <3

"Don't you die on me, Wyatt." Leslie bites back the tears already filling her eyes. "Don't you dare die." 

She reaches out to brush the hair out of his face. Ben can't help but notice how they feel the same as they always did. Even with her nails caked in dirt and her fingers trembling with every movement. They're still the same, just as before. 

Before the wars and the bombings. Before they were captured.   
Before they ran. 

Before he got shot by one of the many officers chasing after them. 

Ben knows he's dying. He could tell the moment he heard the bullets whizzing towards his shoulder and back. Laying there in Leslie's arms he can already feel the blood soaking through his shirt and onto her legs. 

He's too weak to walk out of their hiding spot to find help. And even if he wasn't there's no one that would help them. Not when the new government is offering a hefty reward for his and Leslie's heads. 

"Hey, don't- don't cry okay?" His voice is cracking and every breath stings. It takes most of his energy to reach up and brush away Leslie's tears as they fall. Ben tries to smile but it comes off as more of a wince, pain quickly getting the better of him. 

"It's going to be okay, you just have to keep going and-" 

Leslie sniffles and pulls him closer, letting her forehead fall onto Ben's.   
"What am I supposed to do without you..." 

This time Ben smiles, a soft and small smile despite the tears sliding down his cheeks. 

"You're Leslie Knope," Ben's lips graze her's as he speaks, a feather light tough. Just barely there.   
"You can do anything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is @pawneewafflesben and I absolutely love getting prompts if anyone ever feels like sending some!! It may take me awhile but I will get to them eventually!


	23. "Because I love you"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dialogue prompt was "Because I love you God dammit!" But I separated it into "because I love you" and "God dammit" into two seperate sentences!   
> Post End of The World AU

It rains the morning after the world was supposed to end. A violent torrential downpour with dark skies that Ben finds accurately represent his mood for the past few months. 

He intends to spend the rest of the day moping in his room, and probably cleaning up the shattered glass across the living room floor. There's only a thin bed sheet hanging where the glass door was, which will probably result in a soaked carpet that Ben will probably clean. 

But it's fine, he's still in love with his ex-girlfriend and his roommates are unpredictable and dangerous adult sized children and it's fine. Except it's totally not fine. 

He's still wearing his pajama's when he hears the knock on the door. On the other side is Leslie, completely soaked to the bone and shivering. 

"H-hey." She tries to smile but it's interrupted by a loud string of sneezes. Leslie shakes her head, as if that'll stop herself from sneezing again. "Sorry I, um, I was just walking by and I wanted to-" 

"Wait, you walked here?" Ben's brow is furrowed and the corners of his lips are turned down. He's sure his entire face screams "concerned boyfriend," but he's stopped caring at this point. 

Leslie opens her mouth to answer, but Ben is already wrapping his hands around her arms and pulling her inside. 

Ben hears her say his name a few times as he leads her to his room. Normally Leslie is a human heater, but now she's like ice to the touch and the trembling has yet to stop. 

He guides her to his bed and resists every urge to kiss her forehead before moving to find her a change of clothes. Leslie doesn't make eye contact when he sets the pile of clothes beside her. Doesn't acknowledge the flannel pajama pants and t-shirt that she always tried to steal when they were dating. She just continues to tremble. 

"Leslie-" Ben's not quite sure what he's about to say and he's never been more thankful for when she cuts him off. 

"I-I just wanted to say I'm s-sorry, for how I behaved last night. I acted like a jealous girlfriend and I, I guess I didn't realize the romantic part of our relationship was over. So I'm sorry and," Leslie's eyes flicker towards the door and he sees her teeth chatter, "I-I should go." 

"You're shivering," it's just barely above a whisper and his voice drips with concern and worry. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind Ben's sure he knows this is a bad idea. Offering a change of clothes to your soaking wet ex-girlfriend who you're in love with and also happens to be your subordinate is never a good idea. 

"If you stay in wet clothes any longer you'll get sick." 

"I'm not going to get-" Leslie sneezes before finishing her sentence. 

"Les-," but Ben can't even finish saying her name before Leslie's cutting him off. 

"Why are you doing this," she sounds so small and broken, nothing like her usual larger than life self. 

"I don't know what-"

"You, you should be mad at me. You should hate me, for how I acted and I was so inconsiderate and you're giving me dry clothes because you're so sweet and why aren't you mad at me Ben..." Her voice trails off as she bites her lip and pierces her eyes shut, no doubt trying to stop herself from crying. 

"I'm not mad at you Leslie." 

She chokes out a loud and confused "Why?" Before the tears start. 

Ben immediately reaches out to comfort her. To pull her into a hug, kiss her forehead and wipe away the tears before peppering her face with more kisses. But he freezes mere inches from her body. 

"You should be," it's a faint whisper between sobs and it breaks Ben's heart even more than it already has. 

"Leslie I'm not mad at you, I could never hate you because I-" the words are at the tip of his tongue, threatening to spill over. 

This time Leslie does look at him, her face red with tear stains and he catches a glimmer of hope flash behind her eyes. "Because?" 

_Because I love you._

It's the mix of shock, fear, happiness, and relief that makes Ben realize he spoke out loud. 

He nearly falls off the bed at the realization. Eyes wide and a panic quickly causing his hands to tremble as he pulls at his hair. 

"God dammit. Shit, shit, shit," his eyes never once falling on Leslie as he paces the room. 

"Ben-"

"Fuck, Leslie. I didn't-" 

He sees the pain and disappointment in her face before he finishes his sentence. 

"Did you not mean it?" 

Ben only blinks. His mind forming words that just refuse to come out. Words of love and insistence and promises that he means that more than anything he's ever said to anyone. 

But instead he stands silent. 

Leslie's face falls as she mumbles a barely audible " _alright_ ," before walking out. 

But by the time Ben thinks to run after her she's already long gone.


	24. "Go on! I dare you!" & "Kiss me."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Go on I dare you," & "Kiss me"  
> Prompted by the lovely @supervanillabear31

"Ugh, Ben the Jerk is here," Leslie rolls her eyes and scoffs before dragging Ann towards the far side of the roller rink. 

"Ben the jerk?" Ann periodically looks over her shoulder at the front door of the Pawnee Roller Rink as more high schoolers filter in. It's not unusual for the students of Pawnee Central High to hang out at the roller rink on Wednesday nights, but it is unusual for Leslie to have such unfiltered disdain for someone not from Eagleton. 

"He's the new jerk from Minnesota who thinks he knows _everything_ and tried to tell me I gave a wrong answer in Mr. Howser's American History class. I get straight A's on every assignment in that class all of the first quarter and he just waltzes in, in the middle of October with his stupid hair and smug face. Trying to debate with me over when the Civil War became inevitable! I'm the president of the debate team and the history club Ann!! I know what I'm talking about!!" Leslie flails her arms and scrunched her nose as she talks. Every once in a while skating around in a small circle while her voice increases in volume. 

Ann just nods, eyes wide from Leslie's outburst, "Wow, you really don't like him." 

"Cause he's a jerk Ann!! After class when I politely tried to make my point he told me I needed to chill out." Leslie crosses her arms and glares in Ben's general direction. 

"I don't know if glaring at him while he puts on his roller skates is a good way to get back at him for being a jerk." 

Leslie's about to open her mouth to say _well what would you suggest_ , but Ann answers before she can even ask. 

"You should go flirt with with him."

"Ann Meredith Perkins!" 

"If you flirt with him then he'll probably stop being a jerk in history."

Leslie rolls her eyes, "That's not possible." 

"Go on! I dare you!" 

Leslie scrunches up her nose in distaste, but Ann only slyly smiles back. Suggestively raising her eyebrows before pushing Leslie towards the other side of the rink. 

~~~~

He's been trying to keep his mind off Leslie Knope all day. Trying to ignore the way her nose scrunched up when he disagreed with her. Trying to forget about how her eyes narrowed when he told her she needed to chill out, or how she practically growled and yelled _I am super chill all the time Benjamin!_ Before stomping away. 

But most importantly Ben was trying very hard to forget about how adorable Leslie Knope looked when she was angry. 

So he sat far away from her in every class they shared, definitely didn't glance at her while walking down the hallways, and totally didn't dwell on how pretty her smile was when he caught a glimpse of her grinning at someone else.   
Except he totally did. 

So Ben went to the local roller rink because what better way to forget about the cute girl that hates you than go to a place where there's girls in roller skates. 

But the universe apparently hates him because there, in all her energetic passionate glory, is Leslie Knope. Smiling and laughing and skating. In roller skates. Ben knows it's a bad idea to stay, and yet there he is. Lacing up his rental skates and gliding out amongst the other teenagers and making sure to not look over at Leslie Knope at all. 

Which proves to be extremely difficult when she starts skating towards him. 

"Hello, Benjamin," Leslie smiles but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Instead of sparkling with happiness they're dull with annoyance. She's twirling a blonde curl between her fingers and everything about her just screams forced neutrality.   
At least it's not yelling. 

"Knope," Ben tries to suppress the smile or smirk that appears on his face and he's sure he's failing. Is impossible to be within any close proximity of Leslie Knope and smile. "Have you come back to yell at me about my views on historical events?" 

"What? No! Of course not, I'm here because..." Leslie trails off, her eyes suddenly anywhere but Ben's. His eyes dart to wherever Leslie's looking and spies Ann, her arms waving in wild gestures that suddenly cause panic to settle in the pit of Ben's stomach. 

"Is someone pranking me?" It comes out in a rushed tone, laced with worry and fear. He can't help it, he really hates pranks. 

"Pranking?" Leslie stares at him incredulously, "Why would you think I was pranking you? I mean I hardly think Ann telling me to flirt with you is considered a prank in any possible way and-" She stops mid sentence. As if finally realizing what she's said. 

And suddenly the panic of impending doom is gone and Ben feels himself smiling. 

"Oh, so you came over here to flirt with me." 

Leslie briefly looks as though she may want to be swallowed whole by the ground before shaking her head, "I don't flirt with smug, jerky, know it alls." 

"Really?" Ben quirks and eyebrow and skates just a few inches closer to Leslie. "Because I'm pretty sure you just admitted to it." 

"It was Ann's idea! I am not the one in question here Benjamin Wyatt!" 

Ben steps back at that, yet the smirk never leaving his face, "I'm not questioning you. I was just curious to find out what this flirting you were put up to would lead to." 

"Nothing." 

"Of course," Ben nods and tries to tell himself that he's not at all disappointed. 

"Well, maybe kissing. But only if you really stopped being a jerk who disagrees with me when I'm obviously right. And only then," when she stops talking Leslie looks away. Again, refusing to meet Ben's eyes. 

"I'm afraid you're out of luck Knope, I'm definitely going to continue to share my opinion on events when you're obviously wrong," Ben catches the narrowing of her eyes and the scrunch of her nose as she goes to skate away. But on a whim he skates after her, "But I still think you should kiss me. Since you came all the way over here." 

Leslie gives him a quizzical stare, obviously uncertain and confused, before grabbing Ben by the collar of his jacket and placing a searing kiss against his lips. It's short and over before it's even begun and Ben still feels breathless. Lips burning at the feelings even as Leslie rolls back to Ann and away from him, without so much as a sideways glance. 

She probably still hates him, even after a kiss like that. But it's okay, at least she's not yelling at him.


	25. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prompt was: One trying to get the other off drugs AU
> 
> This is kind of that but not really. It's mostly Ben and Leslie rushing their relationship at 18 and Ben being an idiot jerk butt.

"Ben," Leslie's voice is quiet and unsure when she steps out of their apartment building and sits beside him on the last step. She sounds as if she's walking on egg shells and it breaks Ben's heart 

"Leslie," Ben means to reply in a light tone, almost teasing, but the second the words leave the tip of his tongue he knows he's coming off curt and frustrated. Later he'll blame his tone on the stress from school and work; after all, they only graduated high school a few months ago. Now they're already working, going to college, and living together. It's a lot to take in at a very quick pace. 

Which is why he always ends up on the stoop of their apartment complex with a cigarette between his shaking fingers. Leslie hates that he smokes, she made that quite clear on their first date, and yet Ben just can't shake the habit. 

He blames school and work, but deep down he knows it's the fear that everything is moving to fast. So fast that he just can't get control of his life to save everything before it slips through the cracks. 

"I thought you were trying to quit," Leslie's voice drips with disappointment, he doesn't have to face her to know she can't even make eye contact with him. 

"I was." 

"Ben there's a lot of serious dangers and risks associated with smoking-"

"I know the dangers of smoking Leslie," he doesn't want to snap. He hates getting angry with her, but it just happens. Ben's heard it all before. The lectures, the advertisements, the posters, the commercials. It's all the same. It just isn't easy to quit a habit he's had since he was fifteen. 

"I know you do, Ben. I do. It's just, you're not-" Leslie shakes her head, as if she's thought better of it and wants to backtrack. 

"I'm not what, Leslie?" 

"Nothing," he can see her eyes welling up with tears and it makes him wonder when things got so bad. When their high school sweetheart romance met the stress of the real world and started to crack under the pressure. 

"No. It's something. What is it?" 

"You're not even trying Ben!" Her voice cracks when she shouts and she bites her lip, probably willing the tears to not fall. Random neighbors glance at them from across the street and Leslie lowers her voice to a pained whisper. "You promised you were going to try to quit five months ago and you haven't done anything to try. It's just constantly cigarette break after cigarette break and-" 

"God, Leslie, It's harder to quit than you think! I can't just throw away every pack of Marlboros and be cured! It's not like that! It's like," Ben pauses and stares at the sidewalk. Mouth turned down in a scowl and brow furrowed in anger before speaking again. "You wouldn't understand." 

He regrets the words before they're even spoken. She's already upset and disappointed and now he's making comments like this. Digs that he knows will infuriate her even further just because it's the only way to avoid talking about it. 

"Then help me understand Ben! Just talk to me for once about this! I want to help you and if I don't understand then why won't you talk to me about it!?"

Ben moved to stand up, but Leslie catches the sleeve of his jacket, asking again why he won't _just talk to her._

And it just slips out. 

"Because you're never here to talk to Leslie!" Ben runs his free hand through his already messy hair as the words fall out without caution. "You're working or you're in class and you're never fucking here to talk to, okay?" 

When he finally wills himself to make eye contact with her Leslie is practically emotionless. There's a few tears traveling down her cheeks, but other than that she's just completely still and eyes dull. So unlike the Leslie Knope he fell in love with. The Leslie Knope with bright eyes and bold opinions who could debate with the force of one thousand suns. 

But now she's not debating or arguing or retaliating in any way. No, she's just sitting there. Silent and unmoving. 

He waits for her nose to scrunch up, for her to raise her voice, for any sort of anger to just boil over. 

But it never comes. 

Instead, Leslie nods and stands. He thinks he hears her say _I have to go_ before she's walking away in the other direction.


	26. First Time Drop Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the prompt: Parents Meeting when they take their kids to class AU, prompted by the lovely @supervanillabear31

They stood right outside the doorway to Lily's new preschool classroom, while the other four year olds smiled at their teacher and made their way inside. 

But not Lily. 

Instead, Lily is clung onto Ben's pant leg with watery eyes and a trembling bottom lip. Which Ben couldn't help but find odd considering Lily always had a baby sitter, or went to a daycare, in each town when he was on the road auditing. Last night she had practically ran around their new house at the prospect of going to a real preschool. She's even picked out her outfit all by herself (a purple skirt and a shirt with Rey and BB8 on it that certainly did not match, but Ben let it slide. If she was happy, he was happy.) 

But for whatever reason, Lily was no longer happy. She wailed at the fact that Ben couldn't stay with her and hid her face every time Miss Ellen, her teacher, tried to talk to her. He was almost tempted to say forget it and take Lily home. Except today was his very important first day working at the accounting firm and showing up late was not an ideal first impression. 

He shot an apologetic smile in the direction of Lily's teacher before crouching down beside his daughter.   
"Lily," Ben smoothed back his daughter's stray hairs and kissed her forehead, "You have to go to school, Sweet Pea." 

Lily crinkled her nose and shook her head before burying her face into Ben's shirt. He tried not to think about how he'd definitely be walking into work in a snot and tear stained covered dress shirt. 

Miss Ellen opened her mouth to try and convince Lily to join her class when a blond haired little boy came running up to her. He gave Miss Ellen a bright toothy smile before turning towards Lily with a frown. 

"Hi," the little boy stepped closer before tapping Lily on the shoulder. Lily turned her head slightly, so half of her face was directed at the boy. 

"Are you scared?" Lily managed a small nod, but remained glued to Ben's side. 

But the little boy smiled, "School isn't scary. Miss Ellen is nice, and I can be your friend," He reached for Lily's arm and pulled slightly, "Sit at my table! We can play superheroes for outside time!" Lily hesitated, her face clear of any tears and obviously intrigued at the idea of playing superheroes, but still uncertain about leaving Ben. 

Ben started to encourage Lily to go inside with her classmate when a woman came running down the hallway. 

"Sebastian! You know you can't go running ahead of me like that, you could get hurt!" 

The little boy, who Ben assumed must've been Sebastian, frowned at the floor and mumbled "Sorry Mommy," before trying to tug Lily into the classroom again. This time Lily scooted forward, but not before looking up at Ben as if to ask _can I go?_ Ben nodded and kissed Lily's cheek, telling her to have fun before watching her wander into the classroom with wide eyed wonder. 

Miss Ellen assured him that Lily was _in good hands_ and told him and the woman beside him, Ms. Knope, to have a good day and that _pickup for aftercare was at 5:30 sharp_. Ben only nodded, suddenly overcome with a whole new set of emotions and could hardly quell the tears forming in his eyes. 

\---

"First time drop off?" 

Ben jumped at the sound of another person's voice. He'd practically ran out of the preschool building afterwards, needing to be alone for a moment to cope with the fact that his daughter was growing up. But when his eyes flickered up to the person beside him he was met with bright blue eyes and he no longer wanted to be alone. 

"Um, it's that obvious?" 

She giggled and said, "Oh just a tiny bit. But it's okay. I was a wreck the first time I dropped Sebastian off. I cried all week, not even JJ's waffles helped." 

Well that certainly didn't make Ben feel any better. 

"Buuuut," she took a step closer and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It should've felt strange, he only knew this woman's last name who her child was, and yet it was perfectly natural. "It does get easier. Even if it means they're growing up, just think of all the new things they get to experience. It'll be okay. I promise." She smiled softly and that definitely made Ben feel a little better. 

"Thanks, that's really nice. Thank you-" 

"Leslie Knope," she stuck out her hand and her grin grew about ten sizes. 

"Ben Wyatt." 

"Well it was nice to meet you, Ben Wyatt. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow for drop off?" 

"I'll be here every day for the rest of the school year." She beamed even more at his words. Ben was sure it was physically impossible to smile that much, but apparently not for Leslie Knope. 

"Great!" 

Ben smirked but he wasn't sure why, "Great." 

He still missed Lily all day, but when she climbed into his Saturn at the end of the day babbling about her new best friend Sebastian, he knew Pawnee was home.


	27. Same Park Bench

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another prompt from @supervanillabear31: sitting on the same park bench AU!

Leslie Knope is lost. 

Not physically lost. She knows her way around Washington DC just about as well as she knows her way around Pawnee. She's more metaphorically lost. Unsure of where her future's headed or what she's was even thinking moving to Washington. 

Ann would tell her that she's anything but lost. That she's had her future planned out since she was ten years old. She'd become Governor of Indiana and work in government and make the world a better place and one day become the first female president of the United States. 

But Ann isn't here. Ann is back in Pawnee. Along with her mom and the entire parks department. 

While Leslie sits on a park bench near the Washington Monument and tries to figure out what the hell she was thinking moving to DC to work for the Department of Interior. A job that she's sure she's barely qualified for, in a city that's larger than life and filled with so many important people that are just so sure of their lives and paths. 

Not for the first time today Leslie considers calling Ron and begging for her job back. 

He'd say no. Tell her to roll the dice or something else incredibly wise while pretending he doesn't really care. 

So instead Leslie stares at the sky and the trees and tries not to cry or think about the trees and sky in Pawnee. 

"Can I sit here?" A man's voice snaps her out of her own thoughts. There's plenty of other empty park benches along the sidewalk, but for some reason Leslie finds herself nodding and scooting over to make room for him. 

"Thanks," he smiles softly and fishes out a laptop from the messenger bag he was carrying and starts typing. 

He's kind of cute, for a weirdo that didn't want to have his own bench. His hair is sticking up on five hundred different directions and his jaw is set in concentration while he types away. 

"Is it your first time in DC?" He doesn't look away from the computer screen. But his voice makes her jump, again, and Leslie feels her cheeks tinge pink when she realizes he didn't noticed he was staring at her. 

She clears her throat and looks away before answering, "Uh nope, no this isn't my first time. I've visited lots of times." She tries to quell the tears that keep forming when she thinks back to the past visits. The Times she would return to Pawnee and talk to her Mom and Ann for hours about every monument and building and politician she came in contact with. 

"I actually moved here yesterday, I start my new job tomorrow," Leslie attempts to smile but it falls flat. Saying it out loud makes it sound real, and more nerve wracking. 

"Oh, so you're a local now?" He's smiling at her now, paying no mind to whatever he'd been working on so diligently before. 

"I guess so." 

The man furrows his brow and tilts his head in confusion, "You don't seem very enthused." 

For a split second Leslie considers telling him that she doesn't have to explain her feelings and fears to him at all. That she's allowed to feel however she wants to and how dare he question her. But she glances at him and he looks genuinely concerned for her and her feelings and it just spills out. 

"I'm, I'm scared. I can't possibly be qualified for this job and there's so many things I could mess up on and I- I could fail-" 

"You won't," her bench partner cuts her off halfway through her rambles. His words spoken with such certainty and insistence that Leslie almost believes him. 

But then she remembers that she doesn't even know this man's name, so how could he possibly know that she won't fail. 

"I could." 

"But you won't." 

Leslie eyes him suspiciously, was he psychic? Did he know her future? What was this guys deal? 

He laughs and shakes his head, "I'm not a psychic."

Crap on a cookie she's said that out loud. 

"Then how do you know I won't fail? How do you know I won't screw everything up and completely destroy the Department of Interior in my wake?" 

"You won't, you're not going to mess anything up, because you obviously care too much." Leslie just stares, suddenly unsure if caring too much isn't considered a compliment. 

"Look, I'm a political consultant. And I've met countless politicians and government employees and you can tell when a person is going to accomplish great things or not. Just by whether they care if they'll do a good job. There's so many people who don't care, but you do. So you'll do great. I have no doubt." 

Leslie can feel the blush returning to her cheeks before stuttering out a quiet "Thank you." 

"You're welcome Miss-" 

"Leslie Knope," Leslie holds out her hand and smiles, really smiles, when the man shakes her hand and introduces himself as Ben Wyatt. 

"I really do think you'll do great," he insists again, his hand lingering slightly longer than the usual introductory handshake. 

And even though he's just a random man who decided to sit next to her on this park bench, Leslie thinks maybe she believes him.


	28. Meeting at a festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Also from @supervanillabear31: meeting at a Festival AU!

"Do you need any help finding your way around?" Ben's standing in the middle of a very busy and crowded Wintertime Holiday Festival when a short blonde woman appears beside him. 

"Uhm," he's honestly not sure what he's doing here. He was just driving to his next assignment when he needed a cup of coffee and Pawnee was the closest stop. 

"We have lots of different rides and games!" She rambles on about the ice skating rink and the Ferris wheel and a petting zoo with a _national treasure of a mini horse_. Her words, not his. 

"I actually was just trying to get a cup of coffee, every other place around here is closed so..." 

"Oh! That's over in concessions, this way!" When she smiles at him it was like every thing around her lit up. 

She stands with him as he waits in line. He learns her name is Leslie Knope, she's lived in Pawnee her whole life, and this was her biggest project working as Deputy Director of the parks department. He tells her is name is Ben Wyatt, that he's just passing through for work, and that he's a budget auditor for the state. Her smile drops at his job title. He imagines she's probably thinking about Pawnee and if he came and gutted their towns budget with a machete. There certainly wouldn't be any type of festival, wintertime or otherwise. 

Ben's about to apologize when the man at the counter asks him for his order. 

"I'll take a black coffee and a-" he pauses to glance at Leslie, her smile is back and her nose is bright red when she scrunches it up in disgust at his coffee order. "A hot chocolate, please." Ben doesn't even try to suppress his smile when he sees Leslie's face light up over hot chocolate. 

"It's a shame you're just passing through." They're still walking together while sipping on their drinks. Leslie probably has important things to do since this is her project, but she never wavers from his side. 

"Oh yeah?" 

Leslie nods and smiles at her coco cup. "Yeah, I mean, you paid all that money for admission just to get a cup of coffee. Now you'll have to leave without getting the full Pawnee Wintertime Holiday Festival experience." 

"That definitely is a shame," but he can't stay. They have to be at city hall by 7:00 tomorrow and it's already after 9:00 and there's still a two hour car drive ahead of him. "I could probably stay for a little while longer." 

Lack of sleep will be worth it just to see her eyes sparkle. 

"Yeah?" She looks so hopeful and excited, he kind of wants to give her the world. 

"Yeah, maybe you can show me that pony you mentioned earlier." 

She hits him and informs him that _Lil' Sebastian is a miniature horse and national treasure, good sir!_ He doesn't get it. But he'll pretend to if she keeps smiling while walking beside him.


End file.
